Dental Care for All of Us

Gums typically bleed when people develop more advanced forms of gum disease, like periodontitis. But if you've ever had this problem, maybe you've wondered why gums bleed in the first place when they have gum disease. If you're wondering about it now, here's your answer.

Gums Separate

The first thing to understand is that the gums undergo a process called separation that can happen while they're very sick and infected. As the gums swell due to inflammation and infection, the gums can recede. When this happens, they tend to bleed a little as a result until the body can produce a blood clot to put a stop to the bleeding.

Tissue Damage

Another problem that occurs is that when you brush or floss your teeth, it's often enough to damage the already-infected gums. Think about it this way: how would you feel if you had an open wound and someone took a toothbrush to it? While it's the most effective way of clearing away plaque and bacteria from the mouth, that doesn't mean that it isn't painful or potentially damaging if you do it too hard to infected and irritated gums. Being as gentle as possible can reduce the risk of having your gums bleed, but as long as they're vulnerable or receding it may still happen.

Blood and Pus

The last reason why gums sometimes bleed is because they need to. When the body is fighting off an infection, it will kill the invading bacteria or virus with white blood cells. But the white blood cells essentially die in the process too, and need to be ejected from the body.

When this happens, bleeding may occur because blood carries white blood cells throughout the body. A little blood loss may happen along with the loss of some pus, otherwise known as the same white blood cells that have just defeated a virus or bacteria invading your gums.

Now that you know what causes gum bleeding, it should be fairly clear that it doesn't happen for no reason. If your gums are bleeding, it means that you need attention from a dentist to get them back in good health. Get in touch with a dentist and have your teeth cleaned; if you need help beyond that, you may want to visit a periodontist that specializes in gum health.

For more information about periodontal disease, contact a periodontist in your area today.